More Than Human.

The great Jewish rabbi/philosopher Abraham Joshua Heschel once wrote, "Modern man's greatest fault, is his total self-reliance. It is his nineteenth century delusion that he has progressed far beyond his ancestors. This conceit derives from egotism. There is but one remedy for him: despair. It is only when he finds himself in the deepest extremity that he understands his true condition; then, and only then, does he realize that his self-reliance is a delusion. In such a crisis, hopelessness forces man to contrition. Kierkegaard called this the "existential moment", for at that moment man recognizes his helplessness, his dependency. At his existential moment, man is alone. Afraid to examine his ego, he escapes into society. Kierkegaard totally rejects this "solution", as "social religion",and stresses individual search and commitment instead."
How often do we stop and truly examine ourselves? How often do we seek quiet solitude, and travel deep within our very being, honestly questioning our motives, patterns, intentions, and thought processes? Why is it so incredibly difficult to peel back that thick layer of ego that permeates everything and expose the inner self? Why does it take arriving at that "existential moment" for most of us to come to a place where we are able to even begin to make clear assessments?
We are becoming a people uncomfortable with silence, unable to gaze intently into the proverbial mirror. We are losing the ability to confront our truest nature and then draw pure conclusions based on what we observe. We are all becoming helpless converts, turning to "social religion" which offers limitless distractions. Personal relationships, social groups, entertainment, work, etc. all serve as buffers, shielding us from the actuality of who we are. They keep us busy, enabling us to never have to fully face ourselves.
At the same time, all that we do, think, and say is filtered through he ego. Literally every waking moment of an individual's life is powerfully influenced and directed by their ego, it drives us. Have you ever done something nice for someone and they didn't appreciate it? I can't stand when that happens but even though my motive may have appeared to have been pure, my expectation of gratitude just for doing something nice was completely ego based. Ego distorts to such a degree that it can completely blind an individual if left unchecked.
Here we find one of the greatest dilemmas/pursuits of the entire human experience: to become something altogether different, a new person. How can one transcend these flaws and limitations and begin to approach life from a pure, unadulterated perspective? By taking the time to just stop. Stop everything, find that place of solitude and dig. Dig down deep, through all the layers you've constructed that separate you from yourself. Discard your image and face yourself boldly, examine your flaws as well as your strong points. Begin to have a persistent inner dialogue. Begin to recognize and dismantle the ego at every opportunity. Get to know who you really are. Since so few are willing to embark on such a journey, just starting down the path of total self-awareness is all it takes to become more than human.

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